A UK dance music festival narrowly avoided a scheduling hiccup this week when it accidentally booked two artists to perform on the same stage at the same time. Attendees of the independent festival in north Wales assumed the two artists would be sharing the stage for a peak time, back-to-back set of techno, breakbeat and acid house. However, with over 20 years of social history between the two of them, rumours of a personal disagreement began to spread when SoLow couldn't be seen.
It eventually transpired that SoLow, real name Rory Watts and founder of Shibumi Records, had simply been delayed on his way from London. Shibumi Records and the other artist had famously disagreed over the recording rights to a track in the days leading up to the festival, leading to some heated exchanges over social media. Tom, a fan of both artists said "The set was getting really good, but we couldn't see SoLow anywhere. We heard that he was refusing to come on stage due to some complicated history with the other artist, but at the last minute, he appeared. I was relieved to see the two hug it out as the controls were handed over".
SoLow opened his set with a message of love before upping the tempo and playing remixes of emotive tracks. As the crowd grew, he was joined by another Shibumi artist, Bcaus Art. The pair continued on until sunrise, playing records such as Acid (One Night in Haringey) and a SoLow remix of Professional Widow. As the sky transitioned from night to day, Bcaus Art laid down the final track; Wish I Didn't Miss You by Angie Stone. The mood on the dancefloor was now ecstatic, leaving the upcoming DJ, one of Sheffield's finest, Stevie Day, to carry the torch way into the warm daylight hours in an impressive marathon set.
The festival experience was amplified by Sinewave sound system, beautiful coastal views looking out to Anglesey and an energetic and passionate crowd. The festival organiser provided the following statement: "Beautiful things can happen when you build a culture that focuses on positivity. We'd like to thank all involved so much for their work and we'll be back next year, so keep an eye out for news by following SoLow Sound System or Shibumi Records for updates".
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